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Queen Elizabeth II’s final years were reportedly marked by sorrow after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their exit – and for the royals, this has been “unforgivable.”
The claim was made by British royals expert Hilary Fordwich, who alleged that the monarch had already been disheartened leading up to the couple’s 2018 wedding.
“It is unforgivable that Harry was the cause of much heartbreak for Queen Elizabeth II,” Fordwich alleged.
Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018, in London, England. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left for America in 2020. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“All those around her knew of her sorrow and deep concern,” she claimed “… This is the root of the massive rift between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family. The pain they caused in the queen’s waning years can’t ever be repaired… The family nor the nation will never forget it.”
Fordwich’s claims came shortly after Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent and author, recently wrote about her conversations with Lady Elizabeth Anson, a first cousin and close confidante of the late queen. Anson died in 2020 at age 79.
Queen Elizabeth II smiles on the balcony during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022, in London, England. She died in September of that year. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace and Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment. It’s understood that the claims being made cannot be verified.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen completing their final royal engagement on March 9, 2020. They shortly moved to the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito. (Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)
“Lady Elizabeth told me that the queen felt her once-close relationship with her grandson would never be the same again,” Nicholl wrote. “’She couldn’t understand how Harry, who had loved his military career and been devoted to duty, could change the way he did,’ Lady Elizabeth told me back in 2020. ‘It’s so sad that at her age, having managed the most amazing reign, it has been sullied. He has hurt her beyond belief.’”
According to Nicholl, Anson told her that the queen was allegedly “deeply disappointed and hurt” after Harry and Meghan made the decision to leave the U.K. The couple’s final royal engagement was Commonwealth Day in March 2020, shortly before they left for California with their firstborn, Prince Archie.
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“The queen had hoped that they would bring Archie over. She was very disappointed they didn’t,’” Lady Elizabeth told me at the time,” wrote Nicholl. “She was hurt when they left Britain, and how they left so suddenly.”
Lady Elizabeth Anson seen here in April 2011. The noblewoman was a close confidante to the late queen. (Tim Jenkins/Penske Media via Getty Images)
As a wedding present for the couple, the queen gave them Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle to reside in. The property led to a garden where the monarch found “solitude and privacy.” The queen reportedly told her cousin, “I hope they’ll respect it.”
Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital that for many close to the queen, the couple’s royal exit, or “Megxit” as it was called by the press, was “one of the very darkest periods of her reign regarding family matters.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. (Photo by Joshua Sammer/Getty Images for Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023)
“It has been said that she verbalized it was a ‘complete catastrophe,’” Fordwich claimed.
Queen Elizabeth II sits and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018, in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire, England. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
“She grew up under the shadow of her uncle’s abdication and was hoping that, like his exile, the Sussexes would go on with their lives quietly. Her hopes were dashed. The queen expressed in letters logistical concerns [about] Harry. She saw it as ‘paramount’ that he was safe, expressing her belief that their security should remain a priority. But the final decision was out of her hands.”
According to Nicholl, problems between the queen and the Sussexes reportedly first came to light during the planning of the couple’s wedding. Nicholl pointed out in her book, “The New Royals,” that the queen was allegedly “surprised” that Meghan had chosen to wear white because she was a divorcée marrying for the second time. She claimed that the queen didn’t think Meghan should have worn a veil.
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Meghan Markle, an American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain’s Prince Harry in 2018. (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
“… I was also told that the queen was upset during the planning of their wedding,” Nicholl alleged. “Harry and Meghan were intent on doing things their way, even if it came to breaking with traditions.”
Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent, has written several books about the British royal family. (Nick Harvey/WireImage/Getty Images)
Anson told Nicholl that the queen had enlisted her to assist with the wedding plans. However, after meeting Meghan, Anson was allegedly told “her services were not required.” Nicholl claimed that there were “many tears and tantrums behind the scenes,” including the well-documented dispute surrounding how Meghan reportedly wanted to wear a certain tiara for her special day.
Angela Kelly is seen during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on September 19, 2022, in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Harry reportedly told the queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly, that “what Meghan wants, Meghan gets.” Nicholl noted that while Harry himself described tensions with Kelly in his 2023 memoir “Spare,” he denied making that comment.
Still, “the upset continued after the wedding,” wrote Nicholl.
Queen Elizabeth II looks on during the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. (Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“The deterioration of the queen and Harry’s relationship, which was once distinctive due to their shared sense of humor, began just after Harry’s engagement to Meghan Markle,” Fordwich claimed.
“While the queen made many concessions, she was astounded by their breaches of protocol. Those around her saw her become more guarded around Harry and Meghan.”
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According to reports, there were tensions between Kate Middleton (left) and Meghan Markle (right). (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“I think one of the gravest charges that can be leveled at Harry and Meghan is that they made the queen’s last years so difficult,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “A variety of recent reports have indicated that there were strong differences between the queen and the duo over a variety of issues, especially those involving their wedding.”
Lady Elizabeth Anson (left) and HRH Queen Elizabeth II attend a gala pre-wedding dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on April 28, 2011, in London, England. (Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images)
“Queen Elizabeth would undoubtedly have been hurt by the change in Harry’s behavior,” said Fitzwilliams. “Having known him for so long, she would have expected him to be loyal to her. Her reported surprise over Meghan wearing white and disapproval that she wore a veil at her wedding would not have endeared her to the couple who wanted to do things their way.”
“After they stepped down from royal duties, they were careful never to criticize Queen Elizabeth personally, but trashed the institution she headed, knowing it was next to impossible for [the palace] to answer their charges directly,” Fitzwilliams continued. “The irony is that the queen’s dignified comment, ‘some recollections may vary,’ is what is best remembered.”
Queen Elizabeth was reportedly disappointed that she couldn’t spend more time with her great-grandson, Prince Archie. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
In April 2020, shortly before Anson’s death that year, the noblewoman told Nicholl that the queen was said to be “sad” that she had only seen Archie “once or twice.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry shared a close relationship over the years. (Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“She was quite surprised to hear from Harry on Zoom,” Anson told Nicholl. “It was all new to her, but it was the only way for her to see her great-grandson. She told me that Archie has red hair.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed to Fox News Digital that the queen was said to be “devastated” by the couple’s departure from the House of Windsor. But despite her personal feelings, the queen, who adored Harry, was reportedly worried about her grandson’s future.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke about their struggles with royal life in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. (Harpo Productions/Getty Images)
“I understand that a few things would have been hurtful,” said Chard. “… Queen Elizabeth was very fond of her grandson Harry. They shared fun times and laughter. She was also aware of his vulnerabilities and simply wanted the best for him.
“She… would have been well-aware of Meghan’s influence over Harry. Initially, Queen Elizabeth felt Meghan was a breath of fresh air. However, her views changed very quickly when she realized that Meghan wasn’t willing to play ball,” Chard alleged.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend the annual Chelsea Flower show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 18, 2015, in London, England. (Julian Simmonds – WPA Pool / Getty Images)
“I imagine this played on her mind hugely as she worked hard all her life to serve as monarch and preserve the monarchy,” Chard said. “I can imagine she was heartbroken to see how much damage Meghan, along with Harry, were causing the British royal family.”
Nicholl wasn’t the only author to get insight from Anson.
Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” was published in 2023. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Best-selling royal author Sally Bedell Smith, who was friends with Anson, previously made similar claims based on their past conversations on her Substack, Royals Extra. People magazine reported that a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s office declined to comment.
Sally Bedell Smith has also written several books about the British royal family. (Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Bedell Smith, author of “Elizabeth the Queen,” claimed on her platform that the monarch was reportedly concerned about how Meghan, Prince William and Kate Middleton, “were not working well.”
“That is what the queen said, particularly about the two girls,” Anson reportedly told Bedell Smith. Anson also remarked, “… The wedge between the brothers is really too bad,” referencing the tensions between William and Harry.
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Prince Harry told the BBC in May that his father, King Charles III, wouldn’t speak to him. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess stepped back as senior royals, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They moved to the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito. The queen, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96.
From left: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022, in London, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Following their exit, the couple aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s explosive memoir “Spare” worsened his relationship with the royal family. In May of this year, Harry told the BBC that his father wouldn’t speak to him. Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that Harry and William aren’t on speaking terms.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry told the BBC. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
